chimpsky wrote:Wage Slave wrote:Shawn wrote: It's not that WWII is sensitive; it's talk about war responsibility that touches a nerve.
Exactly. Japan wasn't responsible for it and certainly never cruel. Japan was an asian anti=colonialist force with honourable motives. It ruled and ran the liberated territories to the benefit of the locals and in a kind manner. There are many successful lies told about Japan's behaviour during that time. This is because history is written by the people who won thanks to the use of the terrible and inhumane atomic bomb.
Not too sure the victims of the Sook Ching or NanKing Massacre will agree with the "honourable motives" and "kind manner" description...
Ah you see, more lies told by the victors to discredit the glorious Imperial Japanese Army and to justify their cruel actions towards innocent Japanese people. In fact, the Japanese army was on a mission to rescue the Chinese people from European and American domination. As part that operation it was necessary to conduct some military operations in NanKing and Sook Ching. It is regrettable, but military operations in civilian areas often cause some significant civilian casualties. In this Japan was no different from any other power seeking to overturn a corrupt and unjust government the benefit of the population as a whole. In any case it is not clear exactly what happened as for some strange reason the records seem to have largely disappeared. More proof that they were not really very significant incidents.
And before you ask. the treatment of allied POWs was regrettable but all due to cultural misunderstanding. The Japanese soldiers who did it harboured no ill intent and had no choice. They were constrained by the deep held belief that according to the ancient code of Bushido (which every Japanese soldier regarded as his birthright) soldiers who surrender forfeit any rights of any kind. They become and should expect to treated as subhuman. No Japanese soldier would ever or has ever surrendered no matter what the circumstances. Sorry about that, but when cultures clash there can be unfortunate outcomes.
It seems beyond belief but someone won a big essay competition not so long ago with a line pretty much like this. There are a lot of people who believe this version of history and I don't see a lot of effort in the schools to counter it.
Don't hesitate to spoil the ship for a ha'porth of tar. You'll get credit for saving the ha'penny and someone else will get the blame for losing the ship.
. Refer to the 
Oh my oh my.......
